Manx Destubt V2 User manual

Contents
Getting Started
Introduction................................................................. 3
Installation................ ...................................................4
Adjusting Parameters...................................................4
P rogramming the Destiny v2 Oscillators...
..................................................................6 PWM
............................. ....................... ........................ .8
Filter............................................................... .............. 9
Envelopes ...... ..............................................................10
LFO / Sample & Hold................ .............................. ......14
Mixer...........................................................................15
Destiny v2 Controls
Keyboard modes, portamento, bend range ......... ....... ..17
LFO 2,....................................................... ........... ......... 17
Program saving and loading........... ...................... ......... 18
Continuous Control & Midi Learn .............................. ....19
Zoom out.................................... .............................. ....19
A ppendices
Appendix One: Audio Filters......................... .................21
Appendix Two: Troubleshooting. ...................................24
Appendix Three: Info for users .......................................25
1 ContentsUser Guide last updated: 01-03-2015

2
Introduction
Congratulations on acquiring the Manx Destiny v2 synthesizer. The Destiny is inspired by a real vintage analog synth,a splendid instrument originally produced some 40 years ago, whose classic sound can be heard on countless popular recordings. It is still used today, by those fortunate enough to own one despite their rarity. The layout of the controls can seem a little confusing at first glance, but once you spend a bit of time with the Destiny, you will see that it’s fairly consistent with the standard 2 VCO subtractive synthesizer configuration, but with extensive modulation capabilities. This means that it is fairly quick and intuitive to work with, whilst allowing for a good range of sounds.
Manx Synthesizers originally started out as a vehicle to test out novel oscillator designs, whilst looking into the possibility of providing digital oscillators with more ‘power.’ These designs share much ‘DNA’ with what lies under the hood of Manx instruments today. However, we subsequently shifted our attention onto the filter and envelope sections, which we felt, were still being somewhat ‘trashed’ by real analog gear. For patches which feature an open filter and bland EG settings, the Destiny v2 does sound similar to its predecessor, the Manx Destiny v1. However, patches with significant filtering and bold EG settings are probably the most commonlyused synth sounds out there; and these are a kind of sounds in which the Destiny v2 can now excel. General features Switchable between monophonic (1 voice) and duo-phonic (2 voices). Midi Learn for all parameters; Patch memory system with full library. Two LFOs, Sample & hold, Ring modulation, PWM, Sync, much more.........
General information
The Destiny v2
has no on - board effects - its output is mono. External effects must
be used if you need stereo image ry, or layer 2 Destiny v2s together, then pan.
- - Please note that if you are new to synthesis, parts of this user guide may appear to be ‘a bit heavy’.Don’t worry, once you start turning knobs and flicking switches on the Destiny v2, it will all start to make sense.3 Getting Started

Installation
Please extract the contents of your downloaded RAR file to your VST plugins folder. If you are installing the demo version of the Destiny v2, please copy both the dll file and the folder intoyour VSTplugins folder: If this folder is absent when the Destiny v2 is launched, the instrument will attempt to create one automatically, but this may be undermined by Windows security systems.
If you have already installed the demonstration version and are upgrading to the retail version
( recommended ), the computer will ask if you want to overwrite an existing file (since the demo and
retail versions have the same file name). Click Yes . When upgrading from the demo version you don’t
need to copy the Destiny v2 folder since it contains the same stuff. (Note: if for some reason you can’t open the RAR file, please let us know and we can send the dll & folder
to you directly, via email.) Patch data saving Please note that when you save a patch into the Destiny v2’s internal patch memory system, all variables are saved, including the test tone setting and master tune controls.
Adjusting parameters
For continuous parameters, click and drag the respective knob or slider .
For switches , click repeatedly on the switch area to flick through the available settings .
IMPORTANT!
You can achieve very fine adjustments for the knobs by clicking on the knob and dragging the cursor
away from the knob horizontally for a good distance before adjusting the knob by moving vertically.
This advice is only pertinent to the Bend Range Control.
4 Getting Started

The Destiny v2’s oscillatorsThe Destiny v2 features two fully loaded oscillators; you can control the pitch of each, from the oscillator panel shown above.
Both oscillators have course and fine sliders for pitch control, under the heading ‘frequency’.
There is no master tune control on the Destiny v2, but its very quick to dial up desired pitch using the foursliders in the oscillator sections - the Destiny’s sliders have a long ‘travel’. OSCILLATOR SYNCHRONIZATION (2)TUNING - Oscillator frequency (1)111 Normally, the two oscillators are free running (simulated); they operate independently. This means that when you press a key multiple times, the resulting sound may not be exactly the same each time,because the oscillators will interact with each other differently each time. However, when Oscillator Sync is turned on, the 2nd oscillator will be forced to reset to the start of its wave-cycle, every time the 1st oscillator naturally works round to the start of its cycle. If your new to synthesis and this sounds complex - don’t worry. Simply try it out - you will recognise the kind of sounds sync’ing can produce since they appear everywhere inpopular recorded music. The important charactoristic of sync’ing is that changing the 2nd oscillators pitch will 6 Programming -OscillatorsWhen playing a guitar, the sound produced originates from the strings. In the case of a synthesizer, the basicsound comes from a section called the ’oscillator’. Just as a guitar can have twelve strings instead of six, so a synthesizer may feature two oscillators instead of one. This is the case with the Manx Destiny v2. Having two oscillators instead of one can give you a fatter sound, especially if the two oscillators are set two be slightly out of tune. 112

7 Programming -Oscillators3( OSC SYNC CONTINUED ) The important characteristic of oscillator synchronising is that changing oscillator 2’s pitch will change thetimbre of the oscillator section but the pitch of both oscillators will track the pitch setting for oscillator 1. By modulating the 2nd oscillator’s pitch using the Destiny v2’s envelopes or LFOs, sync’ing will provide another means to have your patch’s timbre evolve as a key continues to be held down (along side with filter modulation - described later in the user guide).OSCILLATOR ONE KEY-TRACK ON/OFF (3) There are several factors which determine the pitch of the Destiny v2’s oscillators, besides their specific tuningsettings; other factors include; master-octave control , pitch-bend midi data, modulation sources and of coursethe keyboard itself. Oscillator Two is ‘hard wired’ to the keyboard and tracks it witha standard piano scale. Oscillator One can have key-track turned on or off, using theswitch (3). When key-tracking is turned off, oscillator One’s pitch is controlled by the frequency sliders and pitch modulation sources. WAVEFORMSEach of the Destiny’s two oscillators can output 2 different wave forms - sawtooth & pulse. There are no switches to switch between the two waves; The oscillators output both simultaneously and they can subsequently be routed as to your requirements in other sections of the synth.OSCILLATOR MODULATIONTwo aspects of oscillator function can be modulated (constantly varied) from other parts of the instrument. They are 1) Pitch 2) Pulse width. The latter is discussed in the next section. Pitch modulation works as follows: 4Like the main oscillators, the Destiny’s LFO outputs two waves simulaniously. Use switch (4) to switch between them when applying LFO->pitch modulation to oscillator One. Set the amount using slider (5). The LFO is discussed in detail later on, so don’t worry if you’re not familiar with it right now.Sample & Hold (S/H) and Envelopes (ADSR) are also discussed later on. For now, suffice to say they can both be a modulation source; use switch (6) to select between them and adjust the amount using slider (7). Oscillator Two has similar controls, but please note that switch (8) can select between an LFO sine wave and input from the S/H MIXER. More on that later.5768FM stands for ‘Frequency Modulation’!

Pulse Width Modulation Both of the Destiny v2’s oscillators output pulse waves, which looks like this:
The pulse waves have a feature which the sawtooth waveforms don’t have; The peak to troughratio can be adjusted. We do this using a parameter known as ‘pulse width’.
Pulse WidthPulse Width increased
This is a superb feature for two reasons: Firstly, one wave shape - pulse - becomes an infinite number of wave shapes; all pulse waves with different pulse widths. The second reason is even more useful; Because pulse width is a continuous variable, we can modulate it (vary it) in real time, using either LFOs, envelopes (see later sections), or key tracking. 8 Programming -PWMThe controls labelled ‘WIDTH’ set the pulse width for each oscillator. (1) If the oscillator’s saw wave is patched in for audio output, thepulse wave can’t be heard and so the settings here will have no effect. The actual Pulse width can be made to fluctuate around the point set by the ‘WIDTH’ slider, by an amount set by the ‘MOD’ slider - this stands for ‘Modulation’.(2) The modulation source is selected using the switch below(3),either LFO Sine wave or Envelope two (envelopes are describedlater.) 14231

The Destiny v2’s Filter 87The controls labelled 5 - 9 control modulation of the filter cut-off: Switch (4) - Select between modulation sources; Sample and Hold, or keyboard tracking. Slider (5) - Attenuate source from (4). Switch (6) - Select between modulation sources; Sample and Hold, or LFO sine wave. Slider (7) - Attenuate source from (6). Switch (8) - Select between modulation sources; Envelope One or Envelope Two. Slider (9) - Attenuate source from (8). Envelopes are discussed in the next section, including a section on envelope filter clipping. 9 Programming -Filter123579468If your not already familiar with audio filters, please refer to our basic introduction in Appendix #1. The Destiny v2 has both a high-pass and a low-pass filter. The high-pass filter can not be modulated and only has one control; Frequency (3). VCF FREQ (1) is the main cut-off control for the low-pass filter, with associated resonance, (2).
CAUTION: Turning up the resonance can lead to a profound increase in sound volume, perhaps unexpectedly. Please consider both your speakersand your ears and use this feature cautiously.
FILTER MODULATION

The Destiny v2’s envelopesThe Destiny v2 has two ADSR type envelopes. Envelopes are triggered when a key is depressed; from this point the output of the envelope (used formodulation) will develop over time in a predictable profile, defined by the user, using controls in theenvelope section. The configuration of these controls varies from one instrument to another, but a popular standard which emerged early on is to have four controls - Attack, Decay, Sustain & Release. The following graph shows how these four controls operate on the envelopes output:ATTACKDECAYRELEASESUSTAINOUTPUT TIMEholds this level indefinitely,until key is released10 Programming -EnvelopesKey is releasedKey is pressedAttackDecay SustainRelease

The Destiny v2 has two envelopes, both triggered simultaneously by depressing a key. The output of these envelopescan be assigned to various parts of the synth; pitch, volume, filter cut-off, and Pulse-Width:Envelope 2 to PitchEnvelope 2 to PulseWidthSwitchable: Envelope 1or Envelope 2 to Filter cut-off.The default configuration for the Destiny v2 is to have envelope 1 control filter cut-off and/or other attributessuch as pitch, while envelope 2 is used exclusively to control volume. However, both envelopes can supply either destination, as required.11 Programming -EnvelopesSwitchable: Envelope 1or Envelope 2 to VCA (volume output)

8 Normally, the envelopes are triggered by key presses, but using switches (1) & (2) you can set up each envelope to be automatically triggered at regular intervals by the LFO (auto repeat). The switch labelled kybd repeat (3), if set in its upper position, will cause this LFO auto repeat for envelope 2 to occur only when a key is pressed.CAUTION: If you reduce the Destiny v2 envelope’s SUSTAIN amount, the peak of the envelope’s output can actuallyrise - the Destiny v2 attempts to recover overall volume level . This helps to offset any loss of volume which the patch might incur due to the reduced sustain setting. However, at very low sustain settings, the effect can be quite dramatic. If an envelope which is controlling volume is subject to a reduction in sustain level, PLEASE PROCEED CAUTIOUSLY in order to protect equipment and prevent ear damage.Self-Compensating Sustain LevelPlease note that the maximum output from either of the Destiny v2’s envelopes exceeds the highest cut-off frequencysetting (all frequencies allowed through) by a wide margin. This is deliberate and can be used to refine acut-off envelope profile around its peak, as shown below: Max cut-offMax cut-offEnvelope to filter slider set so that themaximum envelope output is less thanmax cut-off (all frequencies allowed through)Envelope to filter slider set so that themaximum envelope output exceedsmax cut-off.In the second example, because the peak is ‘clipped’, the filter remains fully open for a longer periodand this will have a dramatic effect on the sound.Please note that adding filter cut-off manually, in addition to envelope output, will further intensify thiseffect since the two sources (cut-off slider & envelope output) are simply added together.12 Programming -EnvelopesENVELOPE TO FILTER CLIPPING123AUTO REPEAT

At extreme settings, the peak of an Destiny v2 envelope can be so snappy that it becomes important to co-ordinatethe attack times of the two envelopes, in order to prevent the filter from peaking after the volume has decayedto sub-optimal levels. This is really only an issue when you have some moderate attack time on the filter envelope,zero attack on the volume envelope but a swift decay on the latter. The following diagram illustrates the issue:SHORT ATTACK TIMES Filter envelopeVolume envelopeThe brightest part of the sound, defined by the filter envelope peak,is compromised because the volume hasalready decayed into the background.One solution is to add a little bit of attack time to the volume envelope as well. (Increasing volume‘decay’ time will also solve the problem but this will drastically change the nature of the sound!) One might be concerned that adding some attack time to the volume envelope might ‘blunt’ the sound andleave it with out much punch. In the case of the Destiny v2, this concern is unfounded, because at low settings, the envelope’s attack is loaded toward the end of the attack phase - the following diagram will hopefully make this clearer:Attack DecayFilter envelopeAttack DecayVolume envelopeEven in the case that the filter envelope’s attack is set to zero, adding a small amount of attack tothe volume envelope can significantly increase a sounds punch, because the volume’s peak lingers for more time overall, whilst the decay is still abrupt and dramatic. Again, if sustain is set to high, or decay is slow, then the effect described above will not be noticeable.13 Programming -EnvelopesAt low attack settings, the Destiny v2’s envelopes’ attack profile is not linear; It rises very steeplyindeed, to begin with, before slowing down androunding off. Right at the end, it speeds right upagain, to form a peak. This gives you the sonic quality of a hesitant attack,without losing too much in the way of punch. This characteristic is not exhibited at higher attacksettings and will not be noticeable if decay timesare long. However, with short decay times, smallattack adjustments can have a big effect on a preset’s perceived loudness.In fact this is an illusion - the decay time itself remains the same but with a higher sustain level, the attenuation from peek to sustain is reduced so the decay appears to be less pronounced. Simply readjust the decay time to compensate for this. Changes to resonance setting may similarly affect perceived time; again, simply readjust the decay setting to compensate if required.Increasing sustain level affects the decay time .......

Low Frequency OscillatorJust like the Destiny v2’s main oscillators, the low frequency oscillator (LFO) creates waveforms. Unlike the main oscillators, the LFO is not influenced by which key has been depressed; the frequency is controlled by the slider labeled ‘LFO FREQ in the LFO section of the instrument and it can go down to sub-audible frequencies. The purpose of the LFO is to provide a cyclic control output and it can be sent to various places, in a similar way to the envelope generators discussed earlier. The Destiny’s LFO only has one slider, frequency.However, it outputs two waveforms simultaneously; Sine and Square.The Destiny v2 actually has two flexible LFO’s; the second one appears in the Destiny v2 Control Section, described later. The Destiny v2’s second LFO can only provide a sine wave. It can control ocilator pitch and so can produce a vibreto effect.The important thing about LFO 2 is that its intensity is scaled by modulation wheel data.14 Programming -LFO / S&HLFO Destinations These can be selected between at the point of destination.SAMPLE AND HOLDSample & hold produces a series of (generally random) values by sampling signals input into the S/H MIXER at certain points in time. These points in time can either be: (a) periodic time intervals, the frequency of which are determined by the LFO Speed or (b) triggered by the keyboard. Use the switch labelled LFO TRIG / KEYB TRIG to select either (a) or (b). (5) Use sliders (1) & (2) to control what is input into the s/h mixer, along with their corresponding switches underneath (3)(4). The OUTPUT LAG slider (6) causes the sample & hold to glide from one sampled value to another.123456

Mixer SectionMuch of the routing performed on the Destiny v2 is achieved using the mixer section, shown here: Use sliders (2)&(3) to mix the output of the Destiny’s oscillators.The switches below allow you to select between saw and pulse waveforms - you cannot have both at the same time coming into the audio mixer. You can mix in an independent noise source or ring modulation effect (1). Noise is like the sound you might get if an analog radio is left out of tune - a completely random waveform. The Destiny v2 offers ‘white’ and ‘pink’ noise varieties; pink is the courser sounding of the two - you can switch between them in the control section, described later. Ring modulation is an effect derived from mixing the VCOs output together such that the amplitude of one is multiplied to the other. It produces a ‘Dalek’ type of effect.12354678AUDIO MIXERThe inputs here control filter cut-off. Note that these inputs are simply added together, so filter envelope clipping can occur. Slider (4) feeds the filter with modulation from either Sample & Hold MIXER, or key-tracking.Slider (5) feeds the filter with modulation from either Sample & Hold, or LFO sine wave. Slider(6) controls the envelope’s influence on the filter and you can select either envelope 1 or envelope 2 as the source.VCF MIXERThe Destiny v2 does not have a master volume. It’s output level is controlled by an amplifierinside the instrument, known as the ‘VCA’ (Voltage Controlled Amplifier). You can control its gain directly using slider (8). Slider (7) controls how much VCA gain will be affected by envelope modulation, selectable between ADSR1 & ADSR2. When slider (8) is set to zero, slider (7) acts as a master volume control.VCA15 Programming - Mixer Section

The Destiny v2 control panel provides all you need to effectively control the synthesizer. Here, you will finda noise source selector, test tone facility, duophony mode selector facilities to load and save patches, a second LFO and more. Please note that apart from the patch memory menus, all controls in this section save with the patch, including Master-Tune and Test-Tone controls. ( 5 ) PORTAMENTO( 6 ) PITCH BEND RANGEThe Destiny v2 features portamento.Controls pitch bend range, from 0 to 1 octave each way. 17 Control Panel (1) Noise Source Selector: selects between white and pink noise, as described in the mixer section of the user guide. (2) Test Tone:
Use this to check that the Destiny is correctly set up within your host software
. If pressing keys does not yield a sound but the Test Tone can be heard, then the chances are that the
Destiny’s midi input is not configured correctly. The test tone emits a pitch of middle C
ʹ . You can thus check that the Destiny’s
tuning is correct. (3) Monophonic / Duophonic selector ʹ switches between monophonic (1 voice, 2 VCOs) and duo-phonic operation (2 voices, 1 VCO each - reverts to 2 VCOs if only one note is being played). (4) Legato/re-trigger ʹ when set to re-trigger, this re-triggers the envelopes every time a new key is depressed, even if the last key is still being held down. This is not applicable when in duo-phonic mode.
Note that vintage analog synthesizers often did not have this option; it can be of great help , but can lead to audible ‘clicking’ when very extreme filtering is applied. ( 7 ) TransposeUse this to set the octave range of the Destiny v2 (finer pitch adjustments must be carried out using the oscillator pitch sliders. +/- 2 Octaves. Vibrato LFO (LFO 2)This is designed to provide vibrato (pitch oscillation ) while freeing up the Destiny’s main LFO for other purposes. It can only produce a sine wave. The speed is determined by slider (8) while the intensity is determined by Modulation Wheel position, factored by the sensitivity knob (9).123456798

18 Control Panel Patch menus
:
Click on the white button labelled ’Patch ‘ in order to select a patch. Note that if you make
alterations to a par ticular patch, those alterations will remain in effect if you select a different
patch , but will not be present if you launch the Destiny v2 on another occasion. Copying patches
from one memory slot to another can be achieved by clicking on the menu labelled File . This menu also
includes options for saving & loading either individual patches (presets) or the entire bank, as
discrete files on your hard drive.

Continuous Control & Midi Learn
Right click on any switch or knob to bring up a menu which will allow you to either manually assign a
continuous controll er number or use the Midi L earn facility:
Simply click midi learn and then adjust the control on your midi control keyboard which you would like
to a ssociate with the Destiny v2 parameter.
When you save your song the continuous controller assignments will be s aved and will be functional
when you reopen it later.
If you save a preset or bank, the controller assignments will be saved with the bank or preset .
If you open a previously saved bank or preset , the current controller assignments will be lost and those
contained in the loaded bank / preset will come into effect.
If you open a single preset, the controller assignments saved with that preset will be loaded into the
Destiny v2 and propagated across all of the patches in the Destiny v2 ʹ you can not ha ve controllers
assigned differently for different p atches .
When you open a new song and launch the Destiny v2 , the default factory bank is automatically loaded
which doesn’t contain any controller assignments at all . But you can then load up a preset (whic h you
saved previously) which has the controller assignment configuration that you wish to use , into an empty
slot . The controller assignment configuration will then apply to all patches in the Destiny v2 . This allows
you to work with many different configu rations according to your needs at any given time.
Zoom Out
Clicking on the discrete black hotspot in the top left of the programming view-port will cause theDestiny v2 to ‘zoom out’ revealing its appearance from a distance. You can not program the instrument fromthe zoomed out view - but you can simulate ‘stepping back’ from the instrument whilst consolidatingone’s thoughts. Click on he image to return to the programming view-port.
19 Midi Learn / Zoom